Heavy Band of the Year Lamb of God Reached New Heights in 2022: Interview
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The post Heavy Band of the Year Lamb of God Reached New Heights in 2022: Interview appeared first on Consequence.
Our 2022 Annual Report continues with the announcement of Lamb of God as our Heavy Band of the Year, along with a video interview with guitarist Mark Morton. As the year winds down, stay tuned for more awards, lists, and articles about the best music, film, and TV of 2022. You can find it all in one place here.
Lamb of God absolutely crushed 2022. The metal veterans continued their ascent to the top of the genre’s ranks with another stellar album, Omens, and brought their live show to new heights on a couple of memorable tours. They are Consequence’s Heavy Band of the Year for 2022.
With Slayer calling it a day in 2019, it can be easily argued that Lamb of God have taken over as the premier act when it comes to extreme metal. And whether the band agrees with that assessment or not, they’re certainly living up to the challenge of carrying that torch.
In co-headlining with Megadeth in the spring and headlining their own tour in the fall, Lamb of God took their live show to new heights. Set against a mesmerizing backdrop and loads of pyro, the band played one explosive show after another. At 51 years young, singer Randy Blythe jumps around the stage like a frontman half his age, as the rest of the group delivers the goods with precision and power.
As guitarist Mark Morton told us in the video interview above, the band made it a point to up their game when returning to the stage following the pandemic shutdown. “When things started opening back up … we very deliberately, very consciously, focused on putting on the best show we can do … we really prioritized the production aspect. … We’re also having a lot of fun playing together, and I think that really translates onstage.”
Morton also sang the praises of Blythe as a frontman. “It’s been awesome to have front row seats to watch my friend Randy evolve into one of the greatest frontmen in metal. I stand by that statement. Anyone who’s seen Lamb of God knows how great Randy is onstage. He leaves it all up there.”
The guitarist then shared a behind-the-scenes story of how the band urged Blythe to become even more of a focal point during their live shows. “Tying back to how we were talking about upping the ante, and really increasing the priority of production, one of the things we’ve done over the last couple years, is we put follow spots on Randy, so when he’s being a tornado all over the stage, there’s at least one, usually two spotlights … following him around so he’s well lit.”
He continued, “When we were implementing that part of the production, Randy was … very averse to the idea of having spotlights on him. His words were, ‘This is not the Randy Blythe Band, I don’t want to look like I’m the star of the show up there.’ And I was like, ‘Randy, we need you to be a rock star right now.’ And he understood that, and he’s a team player, and part of that is his own humility. I don’t know if he’ll love that I told that story or not, but ultimately … he’s the frontman of the band. … But Randy was [initially] uncomfortable with that … I think his words were, ‘I don’t want to look like Liza Minelli up there.”
Rest assured, Randy Blythe does not look like Liza Minelli onstage, but he is definitely one of the most dynamic performers in all of metal.
Having formed more than a quarter century ago (initially as Burn the Priest), Lamb of God have made the leap from underground band to leaders of the metal scene. “We’re so grateful for all the love and respect we’ve gotten from the fans and the other bands in our genre,” said Morton. “So fortunate that we are in a position to, at times, provide some leadership for these tours and for what the possibilities are for extreme bands.”
He continued, “When we all sort of broke in the early 2000s, it seemed impossible that bands like us would get that kind of national attention and that kind of exposure. Now, fast forward two decades later, some of the looks we’re getting and some of the positions we find ourselves in seem impossible. So, I love that the movement, the genre gets to push boundaries on what opportunities we have. And anytime Lamb of God gets to provide leadership on that spectrum of things, I’m really grateful and honored to be part of that.”
While they might be among the leaders of the scene now, back in the day Lamb of God were that young band that gained valuable inspiration from established acts of the time. Perhaps none more so than Pantera, who laid the groove-metal groundwork that Lamb of God have turned into their own unique sound.
With Pantera back in the news these days, having re-formed for their first shows in 21 years, Morton reflected on the influence of late guitarist Dimebag Darrell, as well as Zakk Wylde, who plays in the current incarnation of the band.
“Dime was a massive influence; so was Zakk,” Morton remarked. “Between my love for old ZZ Top and even Led Zeppelin and [Black] Sabbath, that blues-influenced heavy classic rock, which is really where my soul is as a guitar player … [Dime and Zakk] bridged the gap between the Megadeth, the Metallica and the Slayer that I loved so much … and they sort of met those two worlds in the middle.”
Lamb of God’s Randy Blythe on Omens and Why His New Hardcore Project Is Called Gorilla Dick
While 2022 was jam-packed for Lamb of God, 2023 is starting to take shape. The band will embark on UK/Europe tour in mid-February, and recently announced their own inaugural Headbangers Boat cruise. The heavy metal boat ride will set sail from Miami on Halloween Day, and also feature such bands as Mastodon, GWAR, and more. As Morton told us, Lamb of God played a large part in putting the cruise lineup together, and it paid off as the cabins sold out within a week of going on sale.
So, congratulations to Lamb of God on being named Consequence‘s Heavy Band of the Year. Watch our full interview with Mark Morton in the video player above.
Heavy Band of the Year Lamb of God Reached New Heights in 2022: Interview
Spencer Kaufman
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